Tried to Auction My GW Inaugural Button

[Deleted member 140734]

Listed my GW button that I found with my metal detector a month or so ago on Ebay. I put a two grand even starting bid with no takers on a one week listing. Had 21 watchers and two 1300 offers. I guess that gives me and others a good idea of actual street value.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

DR.ÖTEK Metal Detector, Waterproof Gold Detector, Pinpoint & Terrain Modes, Professional Metal Detector - Grab it through Amazon!

[IMAUDIGGER]

If your in a hurry to sell...
Otherwise those watchers are going to watch for you to lower your price because they just don't want it that bad.

Someone else later might really need that to complete their collection.

 

[SultansOfSwing]

Listed my GW button that I found with my metal detector a month or so ago on Ebay. I put a two grand even starting bid with no takers on a one week listing. Had 21 watchers and two 1300 offers. I guess that gives me and others a good idea of actual street value.

What made you set the starting bid at $2000?

 

[smokeythecat]

I paid $1100 for mine, about 2 years ago in about the same condition. As more and more are being found, the prices are NOT going up.

 

[creskol]

Looks like it sold for $ 1300?

 

[SultansOfSwing]

A month ago was smack dab in the middle of the pandemic, people out of work, wondering how to feed their families. I'm not surprised you didnt yank $2000 for it. Id display it for awhile til things settle down. Maybe dig another in the mean time at the same spot? They came in sets of 4 I think i read.

 

[SultansOfSwing]

Looks like it sold for $ 1300?

Youre right. Patina matches ebay listing with patina on TNet post from 4/30. The GWI sold today....right before this thread...

 

[Deleted member 140734]

I relisted right after writing this with a buy it now matching two offers I had received. It quickly sold. And I really like the buyer, a fellow detectorist. He got the full history and location. What people are willing to pay determines actual market value. I have a feeling i will find another.

 

[Deleted member 140734]

I think certain memorabilia and Americana will sell to the people who do have money. Some people are unaffected by the pandemic or are managing to make more money off of it. I have been tracking Spanish colonial gold coin sales and they are moving like hot cakes.

 

[Deleted member 140734]

I think many Ebay watchers are people who own one and want to know what the market is giving and ready to sell if the price is right. I've been watching the one listed for almost 5 grand for over a month now and it also has over 20 watchers. When I relisted with the 1300 buy it now it quickly pulled in offers of 800 and 600. So yes people are watching for their price point. One collector urged me to take the offers. If you look at that fancy website of the guy who cataloged a beautiful collection of these, you will notice that he puts down detector finds preferring family hand-down heirlooms instead. I'm posting this as an informational thread, wish I had known the market better before I listed. I'm planning on selling some of my finds to purchase new detecting equipment. It's easier for me to let go of stuff that way.

 

[Deleted member 140734]

I wanted to test demand. Didn't want to undercut myself, allow it to go up if need be, while fielding offers. And because i didn't find a thread like this.

 

[Deleted member 140734]

I think some people are misunderstanding what I wrote. I found the GW on 4-5-20 (of course the detailed posting is here). I listed it on Ebay for one week ending tonight May 18, 2020 , 6:50 PM. In contemplation of how to proceed I started this thread at 7:10 PM. Not wanting to lose a week's momentum, immediately after at 7:17 PM I relisted with buy it now. By 8:36 it was sold after an email interchange between buyer and seller. All up front, squeaky clean, with no need to pull Shatner out of retirement. Buyer and seller satisfied, those interested apprised of real market conditions.

 

[1320]

I paid $1100 for mine, about 2 years ago in about the same condition. As more and more are being found, the prices are NOT going up.

I apologize for going a little off topic, "more are being found" is very relevant to the post as well as it should shed some light as to why these buttons no longer make the banner.

 

[creskol]

I apologize for going a little off topic, "more are being found" is very relevant to the post as well as it should shed some light as to why these buttons no longer make the banner.

Even the more rare ones don't make the banner these days, but they are all banner finds in my book.

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

Popularity has a lot to do with what antiques and collectibles go for.

 

[Deleted member 140734]

I think it is all interesting discussion. For example, how a button made of copper or an alloy can be worth more than an older piece of Spanish gold just because of sentimentality.

 

[TheGreenBoy]

Price of an item depends on how much is someone ready to pay for it, rather than the item's walue per se. For instance, a face mask is only few cents worth, unless suddenly everybody wants them......

 

[smokeythecat]

They are all "banner" finds. That "turkey eagle" variety is the most common one found. I have owned 4 over the years. I don't have them anymore, it is pretty hard to get the other varieties and I just gave up.

 

[GeoW]

Did you let anyone on the forum know it was for sale?

g

 

[CASPER-2]

more and more being found every year - bringing prices down
long ago a friend got around $3500 for one like yours

when i started hunting as a kid in the 70s - almost no one knew what they were
most of us were coinshooters - then W & E mag posted one found - then a guy in our club found one
but we had not seen many of the varieties that are out there now
So Im on a hunt - I think its around 1978 (Im 15) hunting a school from the 1800s near a real old park
Im digging a target when i get hit with an object - i look around and guy that i was hunting with is laughing
he says "look at that...found really deep ...thought i had a large cent...friggin button"
I asked "do you want it back?" "nope"
I threw it back at him and it went over his head and into some bushes
Few yrs go by and we are talking in a group at club meeting and guys are talking about others that had found GW
buttons and they say some say - LONG LIVE THE PRESIDENT - around the outside with GW in the middle
guy i had hunted with said that button he had hit me with had a GW in middle and i told him i remember
the writing on the edge - we went back to spot the next day but bushes were now a parking lot